Small Business UnMarketing

Coopetition - Eliminating The Need To Compete

I love the word coopetition. I'm not sure who coined this phrase, but I first heard it in 2006. The idea is that you cooperate with others, eliminating the need to compete. As I began to build my business online I saw how this worked very well.

Affiliate marketing and joint ventures are both excellent examples of how this concept works. Every month I promote someone online who has a similar product or service as what I have to offer. Instead of competing with them, I promote them to my prospects and earn an affiliate commission. There are so many people online, there is never a shortage of clients or trainers.

This concept also encourages your clients to see what works best for them. If someone on my list would be better off in someone else's program, I would rather be the one that made the referral. Wha do you think about this idea? Share any experiences you've had by posting a comment.

Join The Power Blogging Challenge

Today is Day 1 of my Power Blogging challenge. This method has worked well for me, so I decided to challenge my readers and Twitter followers (I'm @conniegreen on Twitter) to post every day for the next 30 days. This will get you into the habit of blogging and increase your traffic noticably.

Each post must be at least 100 words in length, and it is alright if you post two or three times on the same day if you get behind. You can also write a post and schedule it to appear whenever you like. This works well for those who are still working full time or have other commitments.

On May 5 simply let me know if you have met the challenge and I will add your name and blog url to my post that will appear on May 7. Leave a comment on my blog at Ebook Writing and Marketing Secrets to get started right away.

Article Marketing To Build Your Online Business, As Well As Other Entities

Article marketing was one of the first methods I used to build my internet business. For the past two years I have also used articles to market several brick and mortar businesses as well. Writing short informational articles, 300 to 400 words in length, will help you to reach new prospects and clients. This will work in any economy, with any type of business, charitable organization, or non-profit.

Keep your articles very simple and attempt to teach the reader something in every one. I make one point and then elaborate upon it throughout the article. The result is a clear and concise article that will be useful to your reader immediately. Yu can also solve a simple problem or answer a general question with your article.

To read some of my most recent articles, go to Articles By Connie. This will give you an idea of how simple it can be to get your informational article published on the internet.

Amazon Book Reviews - Build Your Business By Writing Amazon Book Reviews

Whether you have your own book for sale on Amazon or not, writing a book review there will be good for your business. You can search for books in your niche, read them, and then write an honest review of the book. Many people search for books regularly, and will appreciate reading your review to find out what you thought of it.

My colleague Cathy Goodwin is teaching about this very subject. Visit her site to find out more about writing Amazon book reviews to get new clients and build your business.

Product Reviews - How To Build Passive Income From Blogging About Products You Use

There are several secrets to building a strong marketing foundation with your blog. One is to make sure you are collecting the names and email addresses of visitors to your blog by providing a way for them to optin or subscribe to your posts. Another way, not talked about very often, is to write product reviews.

A product review explains the benefits of something you have purchased that has made a difference to your business. My best example is an eBook co-authored by Willie Crawford. This is a 247 page eBook that explains 20 ways to make $100 a day online now. When I first heard about this eBook, I wondered how many of the ways I was already using in my own business. I knew that if I could learn just a few new things it would increase my income significantly.

It turned out I was already using about 10 different ways to make money online, so I learned 10 new ways that I could add to my knowledge base. Within a few days I was implementing several of them, and I continue to increase my internet income each month based on methods I learned by reading this eBook.

Write a

Is Twitter A Part Of Your Business Plan?

Are you on Twitter? Is your company on Twitter? If not, you are missing an opportunity to let people know more about what you are all about. Some of the largest businesses, as well as solopreneurs, are taking advantage of this micro-blogging site as a way to develop a better relationship with their prospects and clients.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter to see what I mean. I now have more than 2,700 people following me, and the tweets are helpful and insightful. I have even started a new trend - tweeting my articles! I write a 300 word article on a topic in my niche, and then tweet it, 140 characters at a time, so that my followers can have it delievered to them over the course of several hours.

White papers are also an important way to get your name out on the internet. I wrote about this topic some time ago and you can read about white papers here.

Client Care - Are You Taking Care Of Your Customers And Clients?

Do you take the time to connect with each of your clients in a personal way? Working online and having an internet business does not mean that it will all work automatically. Even though you put systems into place to automate the entire process of selling your products and services, the real success will come when you are willing to make it more personal.

 

During the past year I made many online purchases. It was interesting to see the contrast between the people who understand marketing and relationships and those who do not. This can mean the difference between success and failure on the internet.

 

In one case, I purchased a digital package of audio files. I had difficulty downloading them, and wrote to the email where I had purchased. This turned out to be an email that no one read. I went to the website for contact information. They had a ticket support system in place, but you had to register to use it and include lots of unnecessary information just to submit a ticket. I completed the process, but never heard back from them. The following week the same people were promoting more products. I wrote to another email address and still did not hear back from them. I finally called my credit card company and

Buca di Beppo In Valencia - Food And Customer Service To Die For

I had vistors this past week and wanted to take them to a local restaurant, right here in Valencia, that they would remember. The answer was to visit our local Buca di Beppo, one of a chain of restaurants serving southern Italian food.

When we first arrived a young man introduced himself to our group and asked us if we had ever been there before. When my friends answered no, we were immediately invited to take a "behind the scenes" tour of the restaurant. We walked through the kitchen, the food preparation area, and the section where they were making some pizza dough. Several people introduced themselves to our group, and the manager finally joined us and showed us around the different sections of the dining room. Each area has a theme, and the walls are filled with pictures.

By the time we reached our

There Is No Recession On The Internet

Yes, that's right, there is no recession on the internet. I believe this is true because the people who spend time doing business online are entrepreneurs. The very definition of that word implies that we are willing to take risks in order to make a profit.

I recently wrote an article that talks about the global economy of today and the Great Depression of the 1930's. You can read that article here, and come to your own conclusions. I also believe that if you refuse to participate in a recession, as I have done several times over the past twenty-five years or so, then you will do well in any business endeavor you undertake.

Brian Clark, blogger over at Copyblogger, recently wrote a post that also speaks about some of the things I addressed in my article. During the Great Depression people went to the movies like never before, and products like cosmetics, ladies stockings, and candy sold more than ever before in recorded history.

I believe that the same holds true today. People want to feel good, and if they can't take the vacation they had been planning, purchasing something online is a satisfying substitute. Give your market something they will benefit from and feel good about, and they will beat down your virtual door to get to it.

Blog Action Day '08 - Poverty

Today is Blog Action Day '08. This yeas theme is poverty - how to end it around the world. I will be donating all of my income earned online during this 24 hour period to help this worthwhile cause. I grew up in poverty, and understand how difficult it can be to overcome.