Archive for the ‘marketing’ Category

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What Goes in Your VA Marketing Package?

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

Reprinted by permission from WAH Adventures.  All rights reserved.

Understanding Virtual Assisting – Part 6 – What Will You Put in Your VA Marketing Package?

If you have been following this series, then you’ll recall that to date we have discussed what a VA is; how to decide which services to offer; whether or not to become certified; how much equipment is needed; and how to structure your VA practice.  Now the question is, what materials will you put in your VA marketing package?

First of all, what is a marketing package?  A marketing package includes marketing materials for both online and offline marketing that you will want to use to introduce your business to potential clients.

A good marketing package may be mailed to a client via postal mail or emailed as a WinZip file or electronic folder.  A typical offline marketing package may appear to be a glossy pocket folder with your company name and logo and contain a business card, letter of introduction, brochure, flyer, recent press release, and a copy of the last company newsletter.  Large multi-VA practices might even want to include a white paper or recent case study as well as an annual report.

While these marketing packages can be impressive, they can also become expensive.  The cost of designing, printing, and mailing all of these out does not come cheap.

Again, I am going to give you the same advice as I did with your equipment list.  Don’t over do it.  Start small and build.  Please don’t price yourself out of business.

Here is my advice.  All you really need is a web site for online marketing and a business card for offline marketing.  Really.  That is all you really need.  Now, that might not be all you want, but that is all you need.

On your web site, you should have five pages: Home, About Us, Contact Us, Services, and Blog.  You can list your services under Services just like you would in an offline brochure.  You may also introduce your company  with similar language to a sales letter in About Us with contact information appearing under Contact Us.  Put samples of your work under Services or you may want to create a separate Portfolio page.

Just starting out, you won’t have an online newsletter.  You may want to write a press release, and send it to your local newspaper or online to one of the many online press release sites such as PRWeb.  You could even put a copy of your press release saved as a PDF somewhere on your web site.  I would recommend the home page in the left side bar.

Also, if you could barter your services or volunteer your services to collect one or two testimonials to place on your web site–perfect.  This will also boost your credibility.  Place the testimonials in text boxes on your web site or somewhere in the sidebars.  I would recommend doing this on both the home page and in the Portfolio or Services page.

You may also create a signature file in your web site.  This way whenever you reply to an email, your name along with your title and company name will automatically appear in the email.  You can even include your company logo with your email signature file and make it look more like an e-business card.  For offline business cards, Vistaprint has the some of the best prices.

Again, all you really need is a business card and a web site.  Why is this?  The answer is simple, but please don’t misunderstand what I am about to say.  Until you develop an online presence and have accummulated at least six-months’ expertice, you won’t really have much to write about, tweet about or video about.  Therefore, people are less likely to want to hear what you have to say, because they have never heard of you.

However, do not let that discourage you.  Instead use this to become more determined than ever to get out there and get experience and learn this industry!  Look for opportunities to sub-contract under other VAs, volunteer or barter your services.  You can do this!

In future articles, I will be talking to you about how to name your company (if you haven’t already), how to market your services, and how to promote your web site.

As always, feel free to ask questions.

Leisa Good is the owner, VA, and “Diva of Done”™ at GBS Virtual Office Solutions. She opened her virtual assistant practice part-time in 2006 when it was then named Gemstone Business Solutions. In 2008 her VA practice became full-time, and in 2011 the name was changed to its current name. Recently, she has added VA coaching to her services. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and within walking distance of the famous Shenandoah River.  Leisa’s Blog

What will you put in your VA marketing package?

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Posted in business planning, marketing, virtual assistance | 9 Comments »

Why Every Web Site Needs an Online Newsletter

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

So why do some web sites bother to offer a newsletter and others don’t?  So why bother?  Believe me, I am contemplating this very thing as I sit here and wonder if there isn’t enough to do already.  However, everything that I do and stand for at Gemstone Business Solutions would be a waste of time if I didn’t do it for my clients.

An online newsletter is just a way of staying in touch with a target market and/or the clients in your business.  It sends the message every time you email it of “Hey, I am here and ready to do business with you.”  In other words, it acts as a reminder.  It is a way of keeping your name and the name of your business before your clients. 

Why should you publish a newsletter on your web site? 

Karen Cappello, a well-known business coach at www.KarenCappello.com states that clients need to see something in front of them in the form of a contact (newsletter, email, card or phone call) seven times before making a purchase.  This also includes making a decision to use your services. A newsletter — especially an online newsletter — can do that effectively by saving your business mailing time and postage.

So what should this newsletter look like?

Believe it or not, many clients and friends have mentioned to me that they prefer newsletters that are either HTML or text.  While the graphically enhanced versions offered through Constant Contact and Aweber are nice, you don’t always know how long they will take readers to download. 

A newsletter which takes too long to download will cause the reader to become discouraged.  They may not want to wait for the newsletter to download.  Believe it or not, there are still those individuals and clients using dial-up, so you don’t want to discourage them from reading your newsletter. 

Headlines should be short and clear with the main articles covering one major point.  This one major point should be covered in two to five sub-points that are easy to understand and are beneficial to the reader. 

The article should inform, clarify, encourage, enthuse, provoke thought or satisfy the need for additional information.  When appropriate light humor may also be used.

Products may also be mentioned in you online newsletter, but too many hyperlinks should not be used.  You want to keep your client’s eyes on your newsletter not clicking to other web sites. 

What should this newsletter say?

The newsletter should be aimed at a targeted audience or industry.  It should cover what the concerns are for that industry.  It should also have statistics to back up your assumptions.  Being able to answer critical questions and concerns for that industry is a must.  Only then will you be able to provide the kind of content that readers will read.  You will also be able to earn the respect of your readership.

Many new web site owners completely dismiss the importance of a well-written online newsletter.  It takes more than a web site to let clients know that you are in business.  The old adage of “Build it and they will come” is something that keeps most web site owners from connecting with their target market via an online newsletter.  They feel that just having a web site should be enough to attract clients. 

However, when clients find your web site, they may not know you or be convinced as to why they should do business with you.  Being able to offer this added feature — this online newsletter — will continue to keep your site visitors coming back to your web site time and time again.  Clients will get to know you and your business through your newsletter.

Who will read this newsletter?

Maria Veloso at www.webcopywritinguniversity.com and the author of Web Copy that Sells says that it all comes down to “courting” the client or giving them a reason to come back to your web site.  Over time, the reader will come to recognize you as an expert in your field.  You will become someone that they can trust.  A well-written, well-researched newsletter will help to position yourself strategically as an expert in your field.

According to Ms. Veloso, another mistake that new web site owners make is to make the newsletter too broad.  The newsletter is not meant to appeal to everyone, but to a target market.  She later explains, “When you call out to everyone, you call out to no one.” 

In summary, it all comes down to balance.  Within the scope of your particular business and industry, you want to appeal to all of the major players in your readership.  Give them content that will appeal to them time and time again.  Remember the four U’s — urgent, useful, user-friendly, and unique.  If you can do these four things each issue for your target market then you have done your job. 

So where does the blog come into all of this?

The best way to explain how to use a blog is to use it as page of your web site, which reflects more of your personality to your target market.  You can also use it to promote products that you like.  This is your “opening up” a little more.  I like to say that it’s your business casual side.

Nowadays some bloggers are using their blogs to add membership sites and videos from YouTube.  I have used my blog to get readers to comment on some of my newsletter articles in my online newsletter, Chiseling Out Success.

What to do if you don’t want to publish the newsletter yourself?

If all of this is sounds like too much work or too complicated to do, delegate it.  We at Gemstone Business Solutions are a group of virtual assistants and other remote professionals that offer newsletter writing and design to small businesses.  We would be happy to accommodate you with this request.

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Posted in Business Research, marketing, networking, small businesses, virtual assistance | 3 Comments »

When Should You Change Your Business Name?

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Clients and potential clients come to me constantly asking, “Should I change my business name? I mean I am not even sure if I have the right business name. And how can I tell if the name ‘sticks’?”
 
Choosing a business name is a serious step in becoming a business owner. Why? Because it will become how you build your online presence as well as how you build your brand. This is not a time to become sentimental and name it after your favorite cousin. This is the time to find a business name, which will connect well with your target market.
 
A good place to begin is http://www.thomasnet.com. This is the Thomas Registry online, the same one attorneys have been using offline for years. I recommend that you begin here first before going to Google. Why? Because a business owner may hold on to a business name for many years before going public or building a web site.
 
Look in the local Yellow Pages, on the Internet or even on Amazon for a book about what your business does. You will be surprised as to what ideas may come out or no where.
 
Don’t forget to ask trusted friends or family members for ideas. Then by all means go to the Thomas Registry online and search in that industry to be certain that there are no companies with that same name. Yes, you can still search Google as an added precautionary.
 
I have also heard of entrepreneurs and small business owners having online contests to name their businesses. There are plenty of web site owners who would probably help you out as well as using your favorite forums or your Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook discussion groups for help.
 
There are four ways to know that you do NOT have a good business name:

  1. Your target market cannot remember how to spell your business name.
  2. Your target market constantly (not just once) struggles to pronounce your business name.
  3. Your target market cannot remember what your business does.
  4. Your target market continues to confuse your business name with a similar business name.

Sometimes even how much money you can charge will be determined by your business name. For example, if you have the word “economy” or “budget” in your business name, your clients will not expect to pay full price for your products or services.

Now if changing your business name is not an option, consider changing your tag line. A good rule of thumb is the more generic your business name is, the more exact your your tag line needs to be. I had to do this with my own business,

Gemstone Business Solutions. While my company name is generic, my tag line is more exact about what I do: Virtual assistance polished to perfection.

You may also want to split your business into two or three smaller businesses if your business has become too diverse. Again, I had to do this. Gemstone Resume Service grew out of Gemstone Business Solutions. I found it too confusing to try to sell resumes and entrepreneurial services to the same target market.

So, with good research and planning, the right business name will come to your business.

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Posted in Business Research, business names, freelance coaches, freelance writing, marketing, virtual assistance | 52 Comments »

Quickly Go From Little Or No Clients to a Full Practice

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Are you someone who’s just starting out, wanting to ramp up your business a bit more? Get some additional revenues coming in, consistently? You’re not the only one. In fact, there are lots of entrepreneurs out there looking for solid marketing strategies, to get more clients and make more, just like you.

You want some direct coaching from the best — not just from a book. Without it, you don’t have as much accountability, you’re not implementing what you’re learning fast enough, you’re getting overwhelmed and frustrated.

Well, there’s actually a solution for that. Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is hosting a no-charge 90-minute content-filled coaching call where she’ll share her proven system for attracting ALL the clients you need and want.

Here’s the link to sign up at https://attraction.infusionsoft.com/go/Bootcamp/gemstoneva@aol.com

It’s all happening Wednesday November 4th at 8pm EST. To join me for this one-time-only call, just register below and you’ll get details right away. Will you join me? I can’t wait to see what she shares (she always gives so much).

https://attraction.infusionsoft.com/go/Bootcamp/gemstoneva@aol.com

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Posted in freelance coaches, freelance writing, marketing, networking, virtual assistance | 3 Comments »

Getting Business From Volunteering

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

One of the many ways you can get clients for your business is from volunteering. Volunteering is a great way to get out in the community and have others learn about you and what you do. However, there is a downside to volunteering.

As a small business or freelancer, you may be limited to the amount of time that you can donate to volunteering, so make it count. Don’t let it become overwhelming, but limit it, enjoy it, and use it to promote your business and your services.

Make sure that the skills you want to showcase are the skills that you will be using in your volunteering. While most organizations will gladly welcome your volunteer services for typing, envelope stuffing, and answering the phones, do these sparingly. By all means, enjoy these activities and know that you are offering a great service in the community. However, as soon as you can, offer higher-level services.

Offer to organize the fundraisers and activities of the organization. Also offer speaking on behalf of the organization or writing and designing the marketing and informational materials. Offer to introduce the organization to social networks such as Facebook and help them build their fan page. Offering to train other volunteers is also a great way to showcase any of your management skills.

Just remember to enjoy the volunteering while making contacts. Also remember to do a great job no matter what. You, your business, and your skills are now on display.

Good luck!

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Posted in Business Research, marketing, networking | 4 Comments »

Success is the Best Revenge

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

This was a great read from a woman who has had to make her own success by NOT banking or dovetailing on the success of her famous father. In her book, Jokes My Father Never Taught Me, Rain Pryor, decided to create her own style of comedy despite the problems she encountered.

For years, she struggled with rejection. No one “got” her comedy—it was a different genre than what was currently being performed. It was also different from her famous father’s brand of comedy. However, despite these setbacks, she went on to create her own unique style—her own USP (Unique Selling Position).

Two of my favorite quotes from the book are:

“Success is the best revenge; it’s the ultimate ha-ha.”

“I can sit around and wait for someone to put me in a box. Or I can create something and say, ‘This is what I do.’ ”

Rain Pryor
Daughter of Richard Pryor
Comic, Actress, and Singer

So for those of you who are struggling in your own business and your own uniqueness, just remember these two quotes.
 

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Posted in marketing, networking, small businesses | 1 Comment »

How a Book Will Keep You Booked–Full

Friday, August 28th, 2009

It’s been rumored that there are writers at my writer’s group, www.americanindependentwriters.org, (still love you guys!) who when asked for a business card just give the requester a copy of their book. I have heard of this happening in other professions as well.

Why? Because when someone writes a book, it gives them that special level of expertise. While many are writing e-books these days and selling those on their web sites, ClickBank or even Amazon, there is still something distinguished about a traditionally published book.
 
Not there is anything wrong with e-books, I have purchased several over the years and remain happy with them. But there again, is just something about having a hardcover or softcover book published under your name.

Not only are you an expert in your field who has been able to write and publish a book, but you have also successfully worked with an editor, a copy editor, a publisher, and possibly an agent. Everyone is looking for people who are not only an expert in his/her field but also able to work well with others.

In his book, Become a Recognized Authority In Your Field, Bob Bly at www.bly.com accredits much of his freelance success to the 50+ books that he has written. He is considered an expert in the field of copywriting. Fabrienne Frederickson of www.clientattraction.com also mentions how publishing a book will set you apart from your competition.

In researching the subject, I found the perfect quote by Bob Green, a syndicated columnist and author:

“A good book remains one of life’s true miracles…a remarkable value. What you are getting for the money is the result of several years of work on an author’s part, and a lifetime of learning. In some cases, a man or woman struggles for most of his or her life to produce one book. All the experiences of that lifetime, all the encounters and conversations, may have gone into the wisdom that produced the book.”

Read any good books lately? Then you must know a few experts.

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Posted in Business Research, marketing | No Comments »

Making Your Business Card Your #1 Marketing Strategy

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Think it takes longer than 30-seconds to grab the attention of a new prospect? Not with the right kind of business card.

Read below to learn the 10 strategies for marketing with your business card.

10 Strategies to Make Your Business Card Work Harder

A business card is one of the most cost-effective marketing tools you have at your disposal. It will be handed out at networking events, put into business correspondence, and placed in presentations. Next to a web site, a business card is something no business owner should be without.

When was the last time anyone complimented you on your business card? Is it visually appealing? Does it clearly identify what you do? Are you proud when you hand it out?

If you answered “no” or “can’t remember” to any of the above questions, then let’s take a closer look at 10 strategies to improve this powerful marketing tool.

1. Your business card should stand out in the crowd. Having a business card that is a plain/text only card will get put in the stack with the rest of the cards. It must stand out.

2. Your business card should be good quality. This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many business cards that I receive with that homemade ink jet look. You can still see the perforations around the edges and the ink is even smudged on certain words. With so many affordable printing options available, you can easily afford to have a stack of about 250 business cards printed. Vistaprint.com is the one that I use.

3. Your business card should be double-sided. One the backside you need to have either an appointment reminder, a map or information about a referral bonus. What happens many times at networking events is the potential client will become so excited that they will begin writing questions on the back of the card. Then they hand it back to YOU defeating the purpose you handed it to them. A double-sided business card will make it impossible for them to use your business card as scratch paper.

4. Your business card should be in plentiful supply. Don’t make the mistake of just handing out one business card. Hand out several. Tell the potential client that you would appreciate he/she handing these out to staff members or other colleagues.

5. Your business card should not be oversized. It should be the standard size (3.5″ X 2″) to easily fit in a wallet. If it is oversized it will either end up in the trash can or in some other “fitting” place.

6. Your business card should not be an unsolved riddle. Potential clients should be able to glance at your card and figure out what you do either by the name, tagline, logo or brief description.

7. Your business card business card should declare one benefit of doing business with you. Wording such as “all work guaranteed” “insured and bonded” or “20 years in business” are good examples.

8. Your business card should not be cluttered. This is another reason to use the backside of the business card. It will keep the clutter down. Your company name, contact information, logo, and tagline are vital. Remember if a client is truly interested in your services, they will contact you.
 
Don’t try to squeeze too much contact information on the card. If you must choose between your post office box and street address to keep the clutter down–do so. The same is true for your cell phone and office phone.

9. Your business card should not have print that is too small. With 90% of the age 35+ population using reading glasses, try not to use below a point 9 font. If they can’t read it, they probably won’t call either.

10. Your business card should not be an afterthought. Nothing is worse than to have someone fumbling for his/her business card only to find out that he/she didn’t bring them. Always carry a stack with you.

If you can begin applying these 10 principles to your business cards then your business card will become one of your best strategies in your marketing plan. It certainly will be one of the most affordable in these tough times.

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Posted in Business Research, marketing, networking | 2 Comments »

What Will Your Entrepreneurial Legacy Be?

Monday, June 29th, 2009

This past week was a sad week in the entertainment world. With the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and now Billy Mays, it almost had us ordinary folks wondering who would be next.

It’s been heartwarming and also interesting to listen to all of the tributes given to these celebrities. Each one of these celebrities has touched me in a very special way.

Without age dating myself too much, I will say that I grew up with Farrah Fawcett hairdos and watching Charlie’s Angels. I also remember being in junior high and singing and dancing along with Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 or “J5″ as we lovingly called them. By the time, I had grown up and moved out on my own, I was also enjoying Michael Jackson as a solo artist and dancer. Especially as a dancer!

I also secretly wondered if I would ever win the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. Nope. I never did. The closest I ever got to Ed McMahon was watching The Johnny Carson Show.

Having worked in advertising, I do appreciate pitchman, Billy Mays. Yes, he was loud. But boy, could he sell. And for anyone who has had to sell for a living– it ain’t always easy.

The day before Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson passed away, my husband and I went to the cemetery to pay our belated Father’s Day respects to my father-in-law and my two grandfathers. As we walked through Prospect Hill Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries still open in Virginia, I couldn’t help but notice the birth and death dates on so many of the tombstones.

I almost became poetic as I thought about the poem, “Elegy in a Country Church Yard” by Sir Thomas Gray. I always think about that one verse where kings and paupers will lay down side by side. Yes, death comes for us all. No matter how rich or poor. Famous or ordinary.

As I walked around, I did notice that several of the tombstones also had markers indicating the war in which some of the men had served. While I did count several WWI, WWII, and Korean war markers, I wondered what some of these heroes had faced in battle.

I also thought about some of the daily battles that all of us face. We face these battles in our families, in our health, in our finances, and within ourselves.

Without sounding religious, one of my favorite Bible verses has always been I Corinthians 15:55, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

All of us leave behind so much more than just a tombstone with a date of birth and date of death. We leave behind families, dreams, careers, and some sort of legacy. No matter how great or small. We leave behind a legacy. Everyone matters.

As an entrepreneur, I often wonder what I will do “between the dash.” Between my date of birth and date of death, what will I accomplish? Will I do anything in the way of advocacy for the self-employed? Or will I write an e-book or a book to pave the way for other entrepreneurs? Only time will tell.

As we continue to remember and reflect on the lives and legacies of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays, what would you like your legacy to be? How about your entrepreneurial legacy?

 

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Posted in lifestyle, marketing | 6 Comments »

Improving My Tweets

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Ever want to know more about Twitter, but don’t know who to ask? Well, I did just that– sorta. On April 29, I attended a social networks workshop at my local Chamber of Commerce.

The speaker was Beth Bates from Web Strategies, and I walked away with more knowledge and a great handout resource. While I can’t share my handout with you (Chamber members only–sorry), I can give you her URL www.BethJBates.com. It contains information on how to use the tools and applications on Twitter as well as helpful information on LinkedIn and Facebook. I’m having a ball using Twello.

Again, check out all of the great resources for maximizing Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook at www.BethJBates.com.

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Posted in Business Research, marketing | 8 Comments »

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