Small Business UnMarketing

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.

Creating Info Products To Build Passive Income

The bottom line when it come to making money on the internet is this: You simply must have your own products to sell if you want to build passive income and create an online empire.

On October 20 my Info product Creation Workshop begins. To find out more about this course, visit the detail page. I am only taking 12 people into this workshop so that I can spend individual time with you to help you create an info product that will start you on your way to success.

The course also includes a one hour strategy session with me so that we can take a look at your skills and passion to figure out what type of info products will be best for your online business.

Do You Need A Mentor To Be Successful In Business?

A mentor is defined as someone who is a trusted advisor and teacher, in contrast to a coach, who just cheers you on. You will find that most successful people, no matter what field they are in, continue to have mentors in their lives.

If you are new to the internet, you will find that many people claim to be mentors in various areas of internet marketing. Depending on how busy they are, you may be able to reach them by phone or email. Sometimes they have an assistant, known online as a VA (virtual assistant). Other times you cannot reach this 'mentor' no matter how hard you try.

My business is built on the premise that

Selling Yourself and Your Products - Shout It From The Rooftops!

If your business is online, then you are selling your products and services to someone else. Selling! Oh, no, I don't like to sell! There is a post today over at Copyblogger, by Sonia Simone, on this very topic. Selling is part of any business, online or off. If you are not making any sales, you will not be in business very quickly.

Volumes have been written about this. I believe it is all based on the fear of being seen as self-promoting. No ones ever seems to have the problem of telling someone else about another person's product or service. We become raving fans of a restaurant, auto service center, dentist, etc. We tell everyone we know about this person's product or service, even if they aren't in the market for it right now. But when it comes to sharing our own expertise, we become shy and humble.

Forget what your mother or your teacher taught you years ago. It's alright to tell people wha you do and why you do it better than anyone else. If I hadn't got over this one thing two years ago, I would not have the successful and lucrative online business I have today. See? I just did it. I proudly told you about my business - a business that earns me a comfortable five figures every month, by the way.

I actually have a secret weapon that has helped me. I generally don't share this, except with my closest friends and business associates. You can find out more by going here. This program changed the way I told my prospects about what I had to offer them. It also changed my life in the process, allowing me to increase my income many times over. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

How Strong Is Your Brand? The Samsonite Case Study

The Shwayder brothers - Jessie, Mark, Maurice, Benjamin, and Solomon - wanted to brand their luggage as being the strongest in the world. They faced fierce competition from wealthy luggage maufacturers, and decided to use the reference to Samson from the Bible to demonstrate the strength of their suitcases and trunks. When this picture was released in 1916, everything changed in their business. This picture was worth a thousand words and more in dollars, with Shwayder revenues climbing to $300,00 by 1924. They even compared their products to Ford automobiles, claiming they built their suitcases the way Ford built cars.

How strong is your brand? Do you have a memorable way to let people know who you are and what you stand for?

Attending Live Events To Attract New Clients And Increase Your Credibility

During the last millenium, business people attended conventions once a year to find out the latest advances in their field, listen to experts give a talk, and to connect with people from around the country who were in the same industry as they were. It was a time to get away from the office and catch up with old acquaintances.

Times have changed and things are very different now. People come from around the world several times each year to meet others who are also connecting with one another - but in a very different way.

Enter new media marketing for small businesses. Whether you have a brick and mortar business or work exclusively online, seminars have replaced conventions as the place to make deals, create joint venture opportunities, and generally increase your visibility and credibility in the marketplace. For people working on the internet, Armand Morin's Big Seminar is considered to be the most important event to attend. Global attendees