VA Business Coaching Blog » brand identity

Podcasting Tips for Businesses With a Female Audience

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:02:34 +0000

Generally, women are multi-taskers. Whether they are career-driven individuals or not, women rarely focus on one thing at a time. That makes podcasts very appealing to them. With podcasts, they are able to take in information that they’re interested in without having to take precious time out of their busy schedules.

If you own a business that targets female audiences, creating a podcast would be the perfect way to generate interest in your niche or whatever it is you have to offer. While podcasts are effective communication platforms for both genders, targeting a purely female audience requires a very specific communication strategy.

To generate interest among women, it’s important to keep them engaged, and actually have the ability to turn your listeners into customers. Here are my top podcasting tips:

1) Tell Stories

Women find it easy to make connections through stories. Communicate your messages through narratives and anecdotes that place your brand or your offerings in the context of your listeners’ lives. Doing so will allow them to easily take in and absorb what you are communicating. Your messages will become more memorable and easy to share with others.

2) Be Entertaining

No matter how serious or technical your messages are, you should be able to communicate them to your listeners in a fresh and entertaining manner. Try to imagine that your listeners depend on your podcast to get information that would be too boring or unentertaining. A new and fun approach to something serious but relevant will surely keep your listeners tuned in.

3) Speak on a Personal Level

Many podcast hosts speak as if they’re simply reading from a script or going through their notes. Add personality to your own podcast by speaking as if you’re conversing with your listeners. That will make your female audiences feel like they’re simply listening to a trusted friend over brunch and they are more likely to pay attention. You may even want to consider getting a co-host to turn your podcasts into actual conversations.

4) Keep it Light

Keep in mind that your podcasts can be accessed through various mobile devices. Being multi-taskers, your female listeners are likely tuning in while they’re on-the-go or working on something else. If your podcast requires your listeners to take down notes, you’re definitely going about it the wrong way. Keep your discussion light and avoid talking about things in a manner that requires your listeners’ complete attention.

Female listeners are generally easy to please. The best thing about having that type of audience is, if they like your podcast, they are likely to encourage their friends and relatives to tune in as well. Follow the tips above and you will find it easy to engage your audience and keep them tuned in. In no time, your listeners will not only be your brand’s advocates but its endorsers as well.

Jeannine Clontz, provides professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). Learn more about Time Management for Virtual Assistants by downloading her FREE report “A Fresh Look at Time Management for Virtual Assistants”, or request her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, and more by visiting: http://www.VAbizcoach.com ; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Podcasting Tips for Businesses With a Female Audience is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Article Marketing Advantages for a VA Practice (Part One)

Jeannine Clontz — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:44:58 +0000

Article marketing on the Internet harnesses the power of the Web and the hunger for written content. Article marketing allows writers to promote themselves, their websites, products or literally anything, by writing about them and making the content freely available for reproduction on other Internet sites and electronic mediums.

To use it as a marketing tool you first need to create the article on the topic you want to promote. Once created, the article can be uploaded to any of hundreds of article directories allowing others to ‘reprint’ your article, usually for free, in exchange for posting your article bio, or resource box, a small section of text, usually at the end of the article, where links can be included.

These links are used to drive traffic to your website or blog to capture and entice prospects to consider your offerings. If your article is of interest to a broad audience, it’s likely to be picked up and reproduced in a number of ways relating to the subject matter.

The fact that one link has now turned into several links without you having to do anything, will have a positive impact on your search engine page rankings. The more backlinks you can get to your site across the Web, the greater the perceived importance of your website, in general terms. The reproduced backlink is the valuable item in this case. The more your article is picked up by others, the more times your backlink will be reproduced.

Next week we’ll discuss using article marketing to build your reputation, the advantages of backlinks and search engine optimization, and what you MUST do for article marketing success.

Meanwhile, share your challenges and/or resources by leaving a comment below!

P.S. For more information and resources about Building Relationships and Your List Through Article Marketing join me for an interview with talented long-time VA, Lisa Wells of Coast to Coast Business (www.coast2coastbusiness.com) on June 16 – more here: http://bit.ly/CrHSM

Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?”, a 2-month trial in her Insider group coachingprogram, or 1-month trial of her coaching club visit: http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Article Marketing Advantages for a VA Practice (Part One) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Now Tweeting for Business (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:49:39 +0000

Last week we looked at how utilizing Twitter in small businesses can save marketing dollars, expand your customer base, and manage and increase your ability to build relationships. In this final segment, we look at additional ways Twitter allows small business to reap big rewards.

Feedback loop

Small businesses rarely conduct market surveys due to the expense and time necessary to manage them. Twitter allows a business to monitor what people are saying about them and their products. You can ask for active feedback and criticism, respond to questions and deal with any disgruntled tweets through Twitter. Listening to what’s happening on the ground can also help small businesses decide on a strategic direction.

Keep your enemies closer

Competition is fierce for the small to medium enterprise. Twitter lets small businesses monitor their competition. What new initiatives are on the horizon and what can you do to stay on the cutting edge?

If your competitors are not on Twitter, search for tweets that mention them so you can see what others think. Competitive intelligence is a good reason for small businesses to use Twitter and stay a step ahead.

Differentiation

Being able to build a presence can make or break a small business. Twitter allows a dash of creativity, humor and humanity in marketing your business. Twitter accounts can be as funny or outstanding as you want them to be – better for your customers to remember you.

A car dealer in Albany, New York, has the attention grabbing twitter profile “iamhuge”, a silly but memorable profile name that fits in with the business’s general marketing pitch and attracts curious customers to his website, Twitter account and dealership. (“Being HUGE on Twitter: A Small Business Case Study,” Rebecca Kelley, website: 10er20.com/blog, 4 August 2009)

Twitter is not just for the big guys. Small businesses are signing up for Twitter accounts in ever-increasing numbers. There are quite a few benefits of using Twitter in small business, including cutting marketing costs and keeping tabs on competitors.

Now Tweeting for Business (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Now Tweeting for Business (Part One)

Jeannine Clontz — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:35:25 +0000

According to research released recently by O2, the mobile phone provider (“Small Businesses are Catching Twitter Bug,” Richard Tyler, The Telegraph, 16 March 2009), almost one in five small businesses now tweet regularly. Although the larger, multinational firms were the first to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, increasing numbers of small to medium sized businesses are taking the plunge.

In many ways Twitter is a more useful tool for mom-and-pop operators than for the big players who have the deep financial pockets and large advertising budgets. Twitter, on the other hand, is free, easy to use and is the newest, most useful tool to increase sales and profits.

Cost savings

Small businesses that use Twitter save on marketing and recruitment costs. A substantial amount can be saved using Twitter instead of traditional marketing methods, an impressive cost reduction from the small business perspective. Having a Twitter account can be more cost-effective for smaller enterprises, and the intimacy of tweets suit their business philosophy and approach better than impersonal, sweeping advertising campaigns.

Spread the word

A crème brulee cart operating in San Francisco grew by word of mouth utilizing Twitter. Within a few months the proprietor had quit his day job to keep up with demand. (“Mom-and-Pop Operators Turn to Social Media,” Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, 23 July 2009) Such a success story illustrates that direct marketing, like Twitter, is a powerful tool for small businesses looking to expand their customer base. Business owners can also tweet about discounts or new products, reeling in new customers and enticing repeat business.

Relationship management

Twitter also helps small business keep in touch with suppliers. Their microblogging tool allows small businesses to connect to other small companies, promoting a sense of community that goes beyond traditional geographical borders.

An antique store in Texas connects with customers in New Jersey and orders supplies from out of town – all through Twitter-based relationships. (“Mom-and-Pop Operators Turn to Social Media”) Twitter has the ability to increase contacts, whether with suppliers, potential customers or support services like accounting and consulting firms.

Next week we look at how Twitter helps small business obtain feedback, stay abreast of their competitors, and differentiate themselves from the crowd. Stay tuned!

Now Tweeting for Business (Part One) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Small Business Marketing on Twitter

Jeannine Clontz — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:44:36 +0000

Of all the small business marketing options social media creates, Twitter presents the most challenges in determining its use to help your company grow. Luckily, you don’t have to be a computer expert or a marketing guru to infuse Twitter into your overall promotional strategy.

What Is Twitter?

Twitter is a web-based social networking site that can be utilized to send relatively brief messages (140 characters) to acquaintances, family members, friends, or to the overall worldwide Internet community.

Common Uses

There are numerous application options for Twitter, but mainly its uses include, news, resources, and communications. For example, LA Firefighters employ Twitter to keep the community abreast of potential fires and other emergencies. In addition, news agencies provide up-to-the-minute news updates using Twitter, While companies and public services utilize Twitter more and more, most utilize Twitter to keep family and friends updated on their current activities.

Marketing Your Business On Twitter

A Mass Media Outlet

If you run a business, Twitter can be utilized to publish news and updates about your specific products or business. The biggest overall value involves posting a clickable link to a complete article or press release allowing customers to "discover" the material via Twitter. It’s especially popular for B2Bs looking to build brand awareness and relationships. Proper etiquette is essential to effectively market on Twitter. Overt advertising can alienate followers and usually serves to create bad feelings among potential consumers.

An Internet Bulletin Board

An ideal forum to promote sales or special events, Twitter keeps customers updated on specials and new items. When promoting your business on Twitter, keep in mind that it’s designed for conversation and timely news. Make sure that you post in a personal and conversational manner and don’t subject followers to blatant advertising.

Instill personality Into Your Brand

Twitter is a wonderful option for giving your brand name its own unique voice. Successful Twittering reveals your personality and individual flair, creates a considerable difference in your overall success while increasing your Twitter followers. Followers create value when using Twitter as a marketing platform for your small business.

Client Support

When using Twitter, you’ll immediately discover its conversion benefits. Twitter allows you the opportunity to talk to prospects and potential consumers, while also responding to your followers. Demonstrate to your following that you would like to engage with them to create optimum client support and tell them that you are a trustworthy, personable individual.

Small Business Marketing on Twitter is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Build Trust Through Email Marketing Content (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:48:41 +0000

Last week we discussed giving more than you gain in your email marketing pieces, as well as, keeping promises. We close this discussion with important insights on proofreading and how best to communicate.

3. Proofread your emails.

While I would think this goes without saying, I’m surprised at all the typographical errors I see in email marketing pieces. The content of your emails should be perfect because even one typographical error can have serious consequences.

Spelling and grammar mistakes can breed distrust as your subscribers may tend to think of you as unprofessional or an unreliable source of information while some mistakes may also keep you from communicating clearly.

To make sure that your emails prove that you are worthy of your subscribers’ trust, you must proofread and edit them until you are completely satisfied with your work. If at all possible, it also helps to get a fresh eye to go through them for further tweaking and updates.

4. Communicate like a human being.

In email marketing, you need to communicate with your subscribers in a way that doesn’t intimidate them. Compose your messages in a tone similar to how you speak in casual conversations and avoid using corporate jargon and marketing buzz words. Doing this allows you to make your subscribers feel that they can relate with you and that they can trust and believe in what you have to say.

Another very important trust building factor is to avoid using templates that come with your email marketing tools. Compose your own welcome messages as well as auto-responses and customize them to suit the personality of your business. This will further help you in gaining trust from subscribers.

Implementing a successful email marketing campaign does not just involve sending out information in exchange for click-throughs or money. Much of your success lies in how you gain trust through the messages and information you send.

Follow the tips listed above and you can be sure that you can gain the trust of your subscribers as well as keep them loyal to your online business. Have some more tips you’d like to share? Having challenges with your email marketing campaigns. Share them by leaving a comment below and we’ll be glad to open up a discussion to help you resolve them and move forward.

Build Trust Through Email Marketing Content (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Five Facebook Fan Page Success Strategies

Jeannine Clontz — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:33:47 +0000

In recent years, having an Internet presence for your business meant putting up a website. While still an important feature for promoting your business, a website is no longer enough. Web 2.0, or the social web, is an essential feature of a successful marketing plan to reach your clientele.

Facebook is considered one of the leaders of social media. Its growth has continued to increase and Facebook has become an essential and innovative idea for business marketing.

Facebook is a great way to keep up with friends and family, but you don’t necessarily want your clients to see the more personal side of your life. Businesses should take care to present a well defined and controlled image of their products and services. Facebook fan pages are an excellent choice for business.

Business Facebook fan pages have many of the same features as personal pages. You can still share articles, photos, videos, and applications, but all of the fan page content is related to your business. Here are five strategies for making your Fan page a success:

Make your Fan page a resource

Consider the information your customers need. Post articles and links to useful information on your wall and showcase yourself as an expert and your customers will return again and again.

Connect

Interact with customers by making use of Facebook’s tools. Respond to comments. Discuss the benefits of your product line and lead new customers to your website for more. Target your offers without being spammy to increase customer loyalty.

Be human

Pictures and personal information put a face on a company. As long as you present an image that enhances your business, personalizing your Fan page is a great way to get followers.

Be present

Keep your profile, articles, photos and video content up-to-date and current. It’s not enough to throw up a page and ignore it. Make sure to respond to customers who become fans. Create a group for your business and participate in groups related to your business.

Be Innovative

Facebook moves fast. Don’t be afraid to try the latest thing. Explore webinars, and other interactive media as options to improve business relationships.

Creating a Facebook fan page is great first step toward integrating social media into your marketing plan. Don’t forget to provide links from your website and/or blog to your Fan page. Connect to your Facebook fan page through other social media to continue to grow your network. In no time your Fan page will be the central hub of your successful online marketing campaign.

So what’s holding you back? Do you have a Facebook Fan Page? Please share your challenges and successes in the comment box below!

Five Facebook Fan Page Success Strategies is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Online Businesses Benefit from Email Marketing

Jeannine Clontz — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:53:46 +0000

Email marketing is becoming a vastly popular and beneficial direct marketing tool. Used primarily to provide subscribers with information on service and product offerings, it has also been particularly useful in building a loyal customer base. More online business owners are turning to email marketing as their primary means to generate leads not only because results are easily tracked but also because it is an inexpensive way to market yourself on a large scale, allowing a greater chance to generate a profitable return on your investment.

Recently, owners of online businesses have begun relying on email marketing specialists to expand their internet marketing efforts and enhance their online business profits. Because all Internet users use email, it’s easy to reach your target consumer, by encouraging them to opt-in through enticing offerings and keep them subscribed through relevant and compelling content.

Whether online business owners decide to engage in your services or invest in tools to use themselves, email marketing is considered a low-cost means to generate sales leads. In fact, most email marketing campaigns average just one cent per email sent–much cheaper than other direct marketing platforms. It has proven to be more effective in generating sales leads than many other direct marketing options.

Measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of email marketing is simple because of reporting features that track key performance indices such as open rates, read rates, and click-throughs. Using these results, online business owners can gain valuable insights on how best to communicate with their target audience and enhance their campaigns accordingly.

Other very important benefits include the ability to easily send out multiple communications, personalize emails, and send out automated responses. With all these features combined, internet marketers and email marketing specialists can easily carry out an effective email marketing campaign, allowing them to spend more time on other important aspects of maintaining and expanding their business.

Email marketing should be an integral part of promoting any type of online business. Through this platform, online businesses can enhance brand reputation, reach out to a larger market, and track results in an inexpensive way. Through email marketing, online businesses can achieve outcomes they would never expect from any other direct marketing platform.

Although it may take quite some time to build a large and targeted subscriber base, the results that this direct marketing platform will generate in the long run will surely be worthwhile.

Take a moment to share your email marketing successes and challenges by leaving a comment for our subscribers to enjoy.

Online Businesses Benefit from Email Marketing is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Building Email Marketing Trust Through Appearance (Part Two)

Jeannine Clontz — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:07:53 +0000

Last week we looked at building trust in our email marketing campaigns by creating a recognizable ‘from’ line to our messages; optimizing the copy that is viewed through the preview pane; and encouraging subscriber communication. This week we complete the process with three more tips to polish your email marketing appearance.

4. Include full contact details in your footer.

Publishing your company’s full contact information allows your subscribers to trust in what you have to say. People are more open to content from credible sources and showing that you are a real company (with a registered name, mailing address, and contact numbers) will enhance your credibility. Including these details in your footer also creates accountability for everything you say in your emails.

5. Match email design to your brand.

The design of your emails should be consistent with all other materials you use to promote your business online. While you don’t need to copy your website’s design and layout down to the last detail, it is best for you to match your emails to its theme, colors, and graphics. This will help extend the trust you’ve built through other promotional activities beyond your email marketing campaign.

Once you’ve created a design that suits your image, use it consistently in all your emails. Doing so will continue to build trust through branding and recognition. You may consider showing a sample email to new subscribers so that they become familiar with the look and know what to expect. Once they receive your email, they will be more likely to read through it.

6. Email design doesn’t need to be fancy.

Some email marketers get so caught up designing their emails that they forget to focus on functionality. While the use of fancy code can make your emails look flawless, they will appear far from perfect if not in good working order and will do nothing to gain respect from subscribers. They need to look professional and work properly for subscribers.

To produce a successful email marketing campaign and gain trust from subscribers, you need to make sure that the design you use will work and does not appear broken, leaving subscribers feeling you don’t really know what you’re doing.

For this reason, make sure your emails render properly in at least the major email clients. You should also make use of proper alt attributes (an alternative text description for images that displays before the image is loaded) in case the images get blocked.

Appearance plays a huge part in gaining trust from your subscribers. As long as you keep these tips in mind when planning your email marketing campaign, you should be able to establish your reputation as a trustworthy and credible source of relevant information.

Please share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment.

Building Email Marketing Trust Through Appearance (Part Two) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog

Building Email Marketing Trust Through Appearance (Part One)

Jeannine Clontz — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:40:12 +0000

Appearance is everything, even in the success you can achieve through email marketing. Your branding, and the trust you gain through recognition, is gauged by the appearance of the messages you send to subscribers. The design you utilize, projects your quality and distinction.

Many email users consider commercial messages as spam partly because they look like spam. Marketing messages sent out with little attention to branding, layout, and design details will likely be considered spam and quickly ignored or deleted. To avoid portraying this image and to gain trust from your subscribers, you need to pay attention to the appearance of what you send out.

Here are my tips to help you build trust through the appearance of your emails and, allowing your email marketing campaigns to achieve success.

1. Make sure the ‘from’ line is recognizable.

Recognition is important in gaining trust from subscribers. This makes it crucial to use a recognizable name in your ‘from’ line. Use your real name, an online alias, or organization’s name, product or service. Obviously, you should choose whichever name your subscribers are most likely to recognize as well as respond to positively.

2. Optimize the preview pane.

Apart from your sender and subject line, what appears in recipients’ preview pane is what many people first encounter. The content seen through the preview pane, helps recipients decide whether or not they want to read the entire message. To keep your subscribers from ignoring or deleting your emails before receiving your message, make sure that what appears in their preview pane is recognizable and attractive. Try using your logo, a masthead, and an attention-grabbing headline.

3. Encourage subscriber communication.

Many Email Marketers use "Do Not Reply" accounts because they don’t monitor communications sent to the address they use to send out emails. This is often used when emails are sent by third party suppliers or email marketing companies.

However, this can be detrimental to the success of your email marketing campaign. You should actually encourage your subscribers to connect with you with comments, suggestions, or questions. By doing so, you gain insights from your subscribers and inspire trust through your interactions.

Check back next week for three more tips for building Email Marketing Trust through Appearance. Meanwhile, please share your comments or questions regarding the design aspects you follow to create success in your email marketing campaigns.

Find out more about our February Elite VA Insider session – What You Absolutely MUST Know About Design featuring expert VA, Jan Wlodarski of Inspired Design (www.inspireddesignexperts.com) on my teleseminars page: http://bit.ly/CrHSM

Building Email Marketing Trust Through Appearance (Part One) is a post from: VA Business Coaching Blog