Holiday Marketing Mistakes

Marketing your business can be very challenging, especially during the holidays. It is crucial that you do not make mistakes that will enable your competitors to gain the upper hand. Here are five marketing mistakes that you need to avoid.

1. Not marketing to your niche target. Don’t make your message too general. Keep in mind that not everyone will want your product or service. Take a close look at who your target market is and tailor your campaign to those from which you will get the best response.

2. Being too general in your approach. If you are only using one form of marketing, maybe it is time to mix things up a bit and branch out within your niche to attract a larger group of prospects. Don’t get confused, though. If you have something that is working, ADD something new instead of replacing it.

3. Sending spam. Your clients are bombarded with information. Make sure what you are sending them is worthwhile. Spam will turn them off and they will seek out your competitors.

4. Underestimating customer service. Everyone is in a hurry at this time of year. Make sure you are not. Don’t give your clients a reason to talk badly about you, your products or your services.

5. No call to action. Make sure your clients know what you do and give them a reason to contact you.

If you are participating in any of the above actions, there is still time to correct your ways before the holidays. But be fast. Start building momentum in plenty of time for your clients to respond.

Swine Flu

Flu season is upon us, but this year we also have to contend with Swine flu (H1N1).  Whether you want to admit it or not, everyone is just a little bit concerned about it.  As someone who has a compromised immune system, I thought I would let you know the answers to my questions.

I have Crohn’s disease and did not want to get a flue shot if it contained a live virus. The “flu shot” is an inactive vaccine (containing killed virus) given with a needle in the arm.  It is approved for use in people older than 6 months and is the best form for those with a chronic medical condition such as asthma or heart disease or for someone who is pregnant.  The nasal spray is a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses.  This form is approved for use in healthy people 2 to 49 years of age.  As my immune system is compromised I choose the flu shot with the inactive virus as my system would not tolerate a live virus.  I would not be able to fight off the flue as easily as a healthy person if I were to get it.

One of the concerns of those who are actively vocal against the flu vaccine is the thought that it contains mercury.  Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative that is used in some influenza vaccines to keep them free from contamination of microorganisms.  Various vaccine manufacturers are producing some of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine in single-dose units which do not require the use of thimerosal.  Some vaccine will come in multi-dose vials and will contain thimerosal as a preservative.   The nasal spray is produced in single-units and will not contain thimerosal.   If mercury is an issue for you, check with your local health care provider to see how your vaccine was manufactured.

Administration of the flu shot has come to Southwest Florida and I was one of the first in line.  I do not regret my decision, no matter what anyone else has to say.  I really do not want to get the flu and will do whatever I need to in order to keep it that way.

What was your decision on getting the flu shot?

Is it Unprofessional?

Foul language is one of my pet peeves. I do not talk this way and do not appreciate it when others talk this way in my presence.  Lately I have seen this type of language on Twitter and Facebook.  In my opinion this is very rude, unprofessional behavior.  Granted, this is just my opinion, but would bet that others feel the same way.  Please leave a comment and let me know how you feel.

How to Find Your Work/Life Balance

According to Wikipedia, balance (metaphysics) is a desirable point between two or more opposite forces.  For most people work and life are those opposite forces.  So how do you find the balance?

No one can tell you where your balance should be as everyone has different priorities.  You must find your own balance. You don’t just wake up one morning with inner peace and harmony in your life.  It is a process that constantly needs to be worked on.  WebMD had these tips to help you get started:

1.  Figure out what really matters to you in life.

2.  Drop unnecessary activities.

3.  Protect your private time.

4.  Accept help to balance your life.

5.  Plan fun and relaxation.

I am still in the fine tuning stages.  This is where I will be for many more years.  And I can live with that!

For the complete article, please go to:  http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/5-strategies-for-life-balance

Be The Friend

My husband commented the other day that since we moved from one state to another we have not heard from any of our old friends. He thought that was telling of what kind of friends they are. When I asked him if he contacted them, he said no. He didn’t understand why he had to make the first contact and didn’t like my answer that someone has to take the initiative to keep the friendship going.

This is the same with business contacts. If you just sit back and wait, your contacts will turn into dead leads. You must take the initiative to make sure your contacts think of you when they need your product or service. Marketing to your clients is an ongoing business activity. Once you let it slide, you are back at square one. Be the friend and take the initiative.

Facebook Fan Pages

There has been a lot said lately about Facebook Fan Pages.  But are they really the best medium for your business?  Will a Fan Page really benefit you?  Like any other social media marketing platform, if you do not participate, it will not be a good fit.  That is why that little word is there – social.  So how do you do that?

The first thing you have to do before you work on putting your Fan Page together is ask yourself what you have to offer.  Can you post daily about events you are hosting or participating in?  Can you offer tips to better your life or business?  Do you have new products or services?  You must provide sustainable content so your fans will have a reason to come back and check it out.  Give them a reason to talk about your page with their friends.

Your Welcome page is the most important as this is what people will see first.  Make it stand out.  Show your logo or product.  Have links to your Twitter profile and Blog.  Make sure your Fans know why they are there.  Don’t make them guess what your priorities are.

Be an active participant in your Fan Page.  Post daily in order to keep your Fans up to date with new information.  Respond to comments quickly so your Fans know you are truly interested in them.  And be social.  Participation is the key ingredient in social media marketing. If you are not interested in being an active part of your Fan Page, why would anyone else want to be.  Participate and build your community!

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Beers

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.   When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.  ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you..

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’  The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.

LIFE ISN’T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS… …IT’S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN IT.

This story has been around for years.  I recently came across it in a newsletter sent out by the Sanibel, Florida, Chamber of Commerce.  Pass it on to friends, family and coworkers to remind them to take time for the important things in life.

Make it Perfect

As a Virtual Assistant, I am very critical of my own work.  Before I submit a final project, post a new blog entry, or send an email to an existing or prospective client, I take extra time to proofread my work. Lately I have read many newsletters, ezine articles, blog entries, etc., with spelling errors.  These articles have been written by different types of professional people.  This should not be the norm.

Virtual Assistants, as a group, need to hold themselves to a higher standard than other groups.  What we do is two-fold and one small mistake can tarnish the reputation of our clients as well as ourselves.  As our industry grows it is even more important that we proofread our work, as the work of one VA is representative of the entire industry.

Why not take the extra minute or two to proofread your work?  Why would you want to publish something that is not perfect?

How Exciting is Your Website?

When you first started your business you created a website.  Maybe you had help, or maybe you did it yourself.  No matter.  You had input into what it said.  But what does it really say?  Have you been to your own website lately?  If you have not checked it out, how do you know your prospective clients will?  Here are a few suggestions to help make your website more meaningful.

1 – Give your clients a reason to visit your website.  If all you do is list products or services, there is no real reason to go back.  Do you have a blog or a monthly newsletter?  Are you on Twitter, Facebook or other social media marketing sites?  Make sure your clients can get to these platforms by way of your website.  Give it some action.  Make it fun.

2 – Don’t make it about you.  Sure, it is your website.  But put a different spin on things and make your website about what you can do for your client.  They don’t want to know about you.  They want to know about them.  Tell them how.

3 – Less is more.  I have said this before.  Don’t just list products or services.  Don’t have pages of testimonials that go on forever.  Don’t get so technical that your client can’t understand what you have said.  Choose your words carefully and keep your clients interested.

My website is currently being revamped to take the above suggestions into consideration.  Maybe it is time you took a good look at your website to see how exciting it is?

Keep It Simple

I may not be perfect at writing blog articles, but I have read enough to know what I like to see.  And that is – not so many words.  Sure, you need to get your message out.  Sure, you have a lot to say.   But please keep it simple.   I have seen on Twitter a link to a blog that sounds really interesting.  I go to that blog and start reading.  But by the time I get half way through, I am already bored.   I will end here, making this very brief, by reminding you to keep it simple.  If you choose your words carefully, you can have a very successful blog without boring everyone.