Creative Kids Share A Special Message

 I've posted before about the opportunity that sending cards opens for businesses interested in nurtuing client relationships and there is no better way to send cards than by mail from your computer. It just makes sense.

So I was delighted to see this video that a friend also mad about greeting cards sent me on how these cards are being used in a school program in the US for kids to share their feelings with their family. This is a great example of how an idea can be used in many different contexts to bring great rewards and just generally help people be happy and express their gratitude to those who are important to them in some way. All too often the moment passes and we have said nothing, done nothing and inspired nobody.





Being able to send cards is great for us to do. Getting them is nice too. Empowering our kids to be able to make their own and express themselves using all their creativity is a stroke of genius.

I would love to see these being used by families to keep in touch with elderly grandparents and friends who may be isolated and would so appreciate something to hold and see that they are valued by those they care about.

Once you start to think about different ways that you could be using a card to bring a little joy to someone you know or a customer that needs a lift then the floodgates open with possibilities.

Do you have a favourite story of sending or receiving a card? Do please share your experience. I would have loved to have been able to use these to send my mother when she was alive.



Disclosure: I am an affiliate for this program and you can see how the program works to send cards via internet through regular mail here.

If you have any questions contact me and I'll be happy to help.


Tweet 

Like to discuss your business? Lindy Asimus Design Business Engineering Get Help For Your Business Download your free 24 Page Action Plan Marketing Workbook! Subscribe to Actionbites Blog

Two Ways Your Website Works For You.

SEO is like putting a line in the water to go fishing.  Social Media can drive visitors to your website.

"If you're not online it's like you don't exist!"
 ~ Workshop attendee on business


Do you want potential customers to know about your business and find you?
If the answer is yes -
•    You need to understand these things.
•    You need to communicate these things in your actions.

Preliminary
•    Articulate who you are and what you do;
•    how you do it and
•    The reason that I (customer) want buy from you first.



Once you can articulate these things, then you need work out the best way to present this information online.You'll need good content written to communicate your core message and good layout to make it easy for visitors to your site to find the information they need and importantly - the key messages you want them to know about.

Two Ways Your Website Works For You

2 Methods – Passive and Active
Fishing – Search engine and people optimised. This can be set up and monitored over time but is essentially passive in that you 'bait your hook' and wait for the fish (customers) to find it.

Driving – Social marketing requires a business strategy.  This is more active and means that other activities online raise interest where customers can see and this has the effect of driving visitors to see your site who would never have found you otherwise.

Drivers (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin etc) send visitors (traffic) to your website to take action to engage with the business.

1    A system to convert visits into sales
2    A policy for Social Media use



Ongoing Maintenance    

Website – Needs Service Just Like Your Vehicles – Make Sure You Have A Web Mechanic! Some things that need to be altered will be behind the scenes - on your website in the background, not visible to you but very visible to the search engines. If you are not doing this yourself you need to make sure your web developer understands this critical function. Many don't.

Remember just like when you buy a mower – you mow the grass, yet it keeps on growing.  On the internet things change too so you must tend to your website and maintain it to keep good position as Google changes their algorithm and as other competitors improve their web performance!

Three Reasons We Go To A Website

It's been said, there are just 3 reasons people use the internet
•    To be entertained
•    To solve a problem
•    To research a product

Your content should always aim to accomplish at least one of these things for visitors to your site.

Your website needs basic functionality to do these things.
1    Be found by the people who can be customers
2    Address the things that interest them and let them know what they need to know to buy from you
3    The means and a way to buy from you that is clear and accessible.

Search Engine Friendly + People Friendly   
The best search engine optimisation ensures that the pages are optimal for people reading them too. There is no value in your site being found and then leaving visitors wanting information or lost in the site with no clear way to find the information they are seeking, or the site is not friendly to use and to buy from.




Checklist

1    Ensure that your website conforms to basic standards of quality in terms of layout, content and optimised for search engines, and for people to satisfy their reason for being there. NOTE – Many websites FAIL to do this!
2    Make available interesting content that relates to your product or service and showcases your expertise and ability to do what you say you can do –
a.    Basic page layout and content
b.    Your BLOG which allows you to add information easily and updated to satisfy customers unspoken questions and keep content fresh for Google (see point 1)
c.    Be present and available where your customers are spending time (EG. Facebook  as a BUSINESS page attached to your personal page, linked back to your WEBSITE)

3    Know what the marketplace thinks about your business and your competition –  that means research and that's a key component for getting good results on search and for your online reputation management.
4     A policy for social media use in your business sets guidelines and prepares employees ( and employers!)  to understand the guidelines and prepares the way for staff to help promote your business and not damage it.

Summing Up
The question is no longer whether business should be online.

Who owns the top position online that you want for what you do?
What can you improve now in your strategy for Fishing and Driving visits to your website?

Your business online is an integral part of your business. Be smart! Make everything you do in your business online and offline support and reinforce everything else you do within the business.
Your website - supports the business -  supports the website - supports the business.

 How do you find keeping up with changes to search?

 Related
Develop A Strategy For Social Marketing
Check Your Website For Roadworthiness
Think Social Media Is No Use For Your Business? Think Again.
How To Get Your Local Business Noticed Online
Purpose Then Strategy - Case Study Starting Your Website
  Quick And Dirty Business Review


Tweet

Like to discuss your business? Lindy Asimus Design Business Engineering Get Help For Your Business Download your free 24 Page Action Plan Marketing Workbook! Subscribe to Actionbites Blog

A Business Valentine

 
February and all thoughts turn to Valentine's Day. Perhaps this is a way to avoid thinking about Christmas credit card bills that are arriving now. Either way and whether you subscribe to the whole notion of giving gifts and sweet words on this day it is as good an excuse as any to look to your customers and spread a little love.

Over on this blog there are a bunch of ideas for you to show you care and they make a good case with 10 Ways to Show Customers You Care: Valentine’s Day Marketing Ideas for Small Business. That's a  good start but maybe a better way to make use of this is to set this as your marker for making this a priority for your business to remember to love the customers every day.  Instead of doing something just on this one day, think about using this as a way to step up and send somethng unexpected to customers every week. 


Imagine if you were to pick 30 customers every week and send them a card to wish them well. To tell them how much you appreciate their business and imagine if you did that 52 weeks of the year, that's just 1560 customers you have delighted in the year.  Now I have to tell you, you can't send that many cards out and not get a response. Some will come visit you again, some may call, you may see them or not but you can be guaranteed, that they are talking about you - in a good way.  They are telling friends. They are mentioning it to family.  They are thinking about you when they need to buy that thing again. No question about it. 


Test it out. Go to my card shop and sign up for under ten bucks a month + card and mailing and see what happens. Mail out a bunch every week for one month and test it for yourself.  If you need some ideas on how to word the cards or how to make them personal message me and I'll be happy to talk with you on some ideas for your business. No charge. This is not hard stuff this is the easy, easy way to start to show customers you are thinking about them and you appreciate them.  You know, the statistics show that most business is lost, not through bad service but by a perception by the customer that they are not valued by the business. This is basic stuff to do when marketing your business. Start with showing gratitude to the people who have already supported you and your family, and your business. 

Consider this my Valentine to you. 


And let me know what happens! 



 Related
Develop A Strategy For Social Marketing
Check Your Website For Roadworthiness
Think Social Media Is No Use For Your Business? Think Again.
How To Get Your Local Business Noticed Online
Purpose Then Strategy - Case Study Starting Your Website
  Quick And Dirty Business Review

 
Tweet

Like to discuss your business? Lindy Asimus Design Business Engineering Get Help For Your Business Download your free 24 Page Action Plan Marketing Workbook! Subscribe to Actionbites Blog

Pinterest - Are You There Yet?

 Just when I thought there I was reaching saturation point with social platforms along came word of Pinterest. To be fair I'd heard about it and ignored it for quite some time but for some reason I opened an account.

Why did I do that? Hmm. Well actually I thought I was a member and responded to someone who was looking for an invitation. As it turned out I registered and received an account within a few days.

 For now Pinterest is serving as a super fast way to scan things that might be of interest and I can see that with time the access to sites and special interest articles will increase and get better from a match point of view.

Fortunately, right now the marketers are largely staying away but that will change. Hopefully they will keep themselves nice and pot selectively.

Are you using Pinterest yet? Drop by and say Hi.

What do you like about it most?



Tweet
Like to discuss your business? Lindy Asimus Design Business Engineering
Subscribe to Actionbites Blog

Tips To Stop The Email Monster

 
I see a lot of articles come past on Twitter on 'how to get your inbox to zero' and wonder why anyone would bother - don't they have Gmail? I guess not. But really the big issue with email becoming a stressor in our life is not just the number of emails we receive. Sometimes it is the quality of the emails as much as it is the number.

It would be useful for businesses to spend some energy and effort in creating good protocols to teach employees to use for sending internal email. Having someone at the next desk email you and clutter up your inbox with something they could as easily asked you is just stupid. And happens all too often. If you do that - stop it. Get up and go ask. There's one less email and one less response to that email that you will have boomerang back to you.

Learn to filter your email so that you can easily locate emails from people who are likely to send important regular emails from those who send you cute pictures of cats and chain letters in oversize pink font. If you are using Gmail then this is less an issue as you can easily search for emails from that person. Here are some instructions for setting up rules in Outlook (that's how you filter the email - the rules 'tell' Outlook what to do with emails from people according to the rules you want to apply).

Start improving your email by getting better at the email that you send. Before sending just check through these elements before your email leaves your computer.

Email Checklist - Ask yourself...

Do you really need to send that email? Is there a better way to get that information by asking directly or making a call? Or do you already have that information available to you some other way? Remember when you send an unnecessary email you are adding to the clutter in their inbox, and probably adding more to your own with responses that will come.

Summarising the reason for the email in the header means that this email can be easily located again if need be by topic. It also makes it faster to see that the topic is not urgent, or is urgent (to you) and needs priority attention.

Getting clear in laying out the email - one topic per email stops the message being confused and other issues missed.  Have you included all you need for them to be able to take action? Double check and only send when you are confident that you have everything included that is needed. Ensure the attachment, if there is one, is attached and that it is a common file extension that they will be able to open. Commonly .TIFF files are not easy to open on the average computer and pictures are often easier to open for non technical people if they are .JPG or .PNG files. If you are sending photographs then compressing these makes for much easier email receipt.Compressing just makes the file size smaller so it 'weighs less' when it is being sent.

A common issue that I see from time-to-time is whole lists of people being copied with their email addresses showing. This is poor practice and exposes everyone on the list to spammers harvesting their email addresses. Sending via the BCC field means that they get the copy but without exposing their address.


Summary

• Ask first - do I need to send this email or can I just ask directly?
• Should I get this information by email so I have a hard copy of the answer (which may be copied to other applications to save time)
• Have I summarised the subject in the Header so the recipient will know what this is about?
• Have I restated any question that was asked to which I am replying so the recipient will know to which topic what my message relates?
• Have I included all the information they need to respond?
• Have I attached any files that need to go with the email?
• Have I made it clear what the call to action is so that the recipient can understand and act?
• Have I set the email out so as to make it easy to read and understand?
• Have I confined this email to be about one topic only?
• Is there a contact number for me on the email?
• If no response is required, have I stated this on the email?
• Have you only included copies to people who actually need to see this?
• Are your copies being sent BCC?

 Most people are sensible with their email but occasionally we will find someone who repeatedly sends us emails that make no sense, or invariably result in a back-and-forth email relay to clarify a point that could have (should have) been clarified in the first email, or by phone. If you have a special person in your life who does this you may like to ask them to help you by sharing this checklist with them. A few kind words once may save you multiple episodes of wasted time throughout the year and those minutes add up!

Of course if you have business, then setting up a good procedure and training your staff in how to use email effectively will increase productivity, reduce unneccessary anxiety and mean a lot less wasted manhours on nonsense.



Tweet

Like to discuss your business? Lindy Asimus Design Business Engineering
Download your free 24 Page Action Plan Marketing Workbook! Subscribe to Actionbites Blog

Introducing Google Search + Your World

Forget everything you knew or thought you knew about getting your business found online. Today is another day and everything has changed.  While SEO is still important the bar has been raised and if you want to be found then you best start paying attention to building your online presence across platforms and providing quality content targeted to your market.

While websites are still often very poorly constructed and virtually unfindable (and no this isn't just cheap websites - many are expensive very fancy designs and have lots of bells and whistles - just none that  help to get Google placing them well on search), the game has changed forever. If you want your business to be considered relevant - or to stay that way - then you must heed this and begin to do what it takes to be in this new marketplace.

"These days, any business that doesn't have a Web presence isn't taken seriously." - Morgan McKean, a consultant and writer who recommends "green" fashions, beauty products and home décor for women.

Official Word From Google

The Google Blog States: 

"We’re transforming Google into a search engine that understands not only content, but also people and relationships. We began this transformation with Social Search, and today we’re taking another big step in this direction by introducing three new features:

1. Personal Results, which enable you to find information just for you, such as Google+ photos and posts—both your own and those shared specifically with you, that only you will be able to see on your results page; 
2. Profiles in Search, both in autocomplete and results, which enable you to immediately find people you’re close to or might be interested in following; and, 
3. People and Pages, which help you find people profiles and Google+ pages related to a specific topic or area of interest, and enable you to follow them with just a few clicks. Because behind most every query is a community. 

Together, these features combine to create Search plus Your World. Search is simply better with your world in it, and we’re just getting started.'



Here's what some are already saying about this new update from Google...

"Regardless of how you do it this is the only kind of influence that is "future proof". Tech will come and go, searches will come and go, social sites will come and go... but when you have influence and a strong community or "tribe" around you it will allow you to continue to thrive!'

-Kimberly Castleberry more here

"Google+ isn’t the only thing Google does. YouTube, Blogger, Google Docs, Google Reader, etc… Google+ is the glue pulling all that together. Your social profile across all Google properties now have a singular home… Google+. Google+ however is not in the social networking business, they’re in the data business and Google+ is a method of joining all your different web interactions together. With the release of Search plus Your World we’re beginning to see how all if it ties together… and how it’s all related to the one thing Google has always been good at: search." - Paul Spoerry   more here

 See the full lowdown on the Google Blog


Start From Where You Are Now 

There has never been a better reason to review your online marketing. You don't build an online presence across social media platforms and good placement for your website overnight. You need to build that presence and make it get the message out that you want new customers and old to see and reinforce. Make that call today and get started.


See Also:
Check Your Website For Roadworthiness

Think Social Media Is No Use For Your Business? Think Again.

How To Get Your Local Business Noticed Online

Purpose Then Strategy - Case Study Starting Your Website



Tweet

Like to discuss your business? Lindy Asimus Design Business Engineering
Download your free 24 Page Action Plan Marketing Workbook! Subscribe to Actionbites Blog

Wisdom From American Pickers

Watching junk TV can reveal some real wisdom but you need to look for it and be able to spot it when it presents.


Here are some quotes from American Pickers that each of us should inscribe inside our brain and remember when we are struggling to get to the result that we want to achieve.

1. Be where you can find that thing you want 
2. Find out from the one who has it now, what they need to let you have it. 
3. Ask them for it and be willing to pay the price that makes sense for you both.
4. Ask the question.

 Do you have a TV program that has given you unexpected insight?



Tweet

Like to discuss your business? Lindy Asimus Design Business Engineering Get Help For Your Business Download your free 24 Page Action Plan Marketing Workbook! Subscribe to Actionbites Blog